The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-07-02

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| was not accustomed, but found their steer
ing arrangements had certain family like
ness, and it could not have taken me a minute
! TO unscrew all four of the handles and remove
them from their upright bars.
| held them in one hand while once more
mounted the "Salvo," which must have been
ridden by an undersized malefaetor, as the
saddle was not above my height One turn,
and was gliding bridgewards over the sloping
ground. The machine ran like an animate
thing, without noise, or shake, or jar. Even
at that supreme moment | could not help
envying the burglar who owned that "Salvo,n
and thinking there must be aleviations in the
lot of even a professional housebreaker. |
was not frightened-no, was not I'll main
tain it with my last breath; but perhaps it was
as well that that machine was easy to drive,
and that the road sloped downwards so steeply
| that after turn or two there was no further
need for toll. AT the third bridge, just where
the river foams over the little barrier into its
rocky bed, l checked my course and flung the
handles i still carried into the water below.
The splash of their fall was not even heard
above the rush of the little torrent, and rode
on the faster for that momentary pause.
On, on, under the dusky shadows that
made the road mysterious in their gloom, and
almost swallowed the golden moonlight, when
it found a crevice through which to slide. On,
on, between the high banks, tangled with
honeysuckle and dog roses, where Charley
and had so often sauntered, in sort of &C.
static dream. On, on, with painting breath
and trembling limb, unused to the violent eff
fort and the frantic haste. On, on, till the
| last long corner is turned, and the Warn.
chester Road stretches white before me, and
there is at least the chance of human pres
ence and aid
The Short sharp ring of a tricycle. bell and
my heart leaps with a sudden shock. The
next minute there is flash of light, the rush
of machine, not muiied and stealthy like my
own, and-can | believe my eyes orr credit the
too joyful truth ?-Gharley-my own young
lover-Charley, brave and bright and debonair,
in flannels and cap, tennis racquet under his
arm, looms tall and erect through the NOON
light, not dozen yards away
| | don't know what | said or how / hailed
him. | can sec at this minute the look of
utter, incredulous astonishment his face wore
as he sprang from his saddle and rushed to
my side. We didn't meet in the least like
lovers; even Aunt Alicia might have been
satisfied at the majestic propriety Of our greet
ing, which was conducted with some lack of
breath on my part and an utter blank bewil-
derment on his.
1t did'n take many words. | rushed over
my story with such excited rapidity that |
wonder now how Charley understood a word
/ vi III UuI bubu ne Is SUCH ii CieNcT lcllOM. L
saw his face change in the moonlight from
surprise to CONSERVATION, then to that look of
delighted anticipation man always expert
ences at the prospect of any sort of that en-
joyment they call "a row." and then, before
he could even speak a word in answer to
my rapid "And now, what must we do?n
there came through the silent warm air the
sudden subdued noise that is like other
noise on earth, the sound of many horses
| h0nfs falling N cOnfnea1 heat tho dusfy
ground.
"By Jove ~ said Charley, throwing up his
head Ia man generally invokes the heathen
deities at a supreme mement, have noticed).
"Here's luck It's the troop of hussars that
went over to Wallinghoe to put out Fother-
ingham's hayricks. We saw them pass while
we were ut dinner, and Blount's with them.
Come on, darling" which was his first intima.
ton that he had not taken me for Sally, the
housemaid, or Prentice, the page, and which
gratifed me accordingly.
lowered in the shadow, however. while
Charley ran forward to the crossroads to in
tercept the hussars, with Capt. BlOunt at their
head A few hasty words of explanation,
and the troop wheeled round and hastily fell
into marching order for Copford Lane How
Charley accounted for my presence on burg
lars tricycle. l never inquired. Capt. Blount
saluted courteously as he passed the patch of
inky shadow where | was in ambush, and
then Charley hurriedly joined me and we rode
together in the cloud of dust that hoated at
the heels of the last line Of horses
I'm afraid we were in danger of collision
more than once, Charley and l. He would
ride so very close, and try to hold my hand
in his-a most difficult and uncomfortable
thing when ones wheels are high and one
has to cling to the handles. However, we
did not go very fast. Capt. Blount was so
anxious for the honor and glory of capturing
the thieves that he took every precaution
against alarming them by our approach, and
the men were made to walk their horses on
| the turf as soon as we drew near enough to
the manor-house to be audible.
But robbers such as those were not to be
caught mapping. Scarcely had the men been
dismounted by the little weir, and party
told off to creep up by the footpath and sur
rounded the back of the house, when Char
ley's quick eye discovered a dusky shadow
gliding round the corner of the kitchen garden
wall, and with ene bound he was over the
bridge, and up the hill, followed by Capt.
Blount and bevy Of spurred hussars. There
was silent rush Of four more shadows before
they could reach the spot, and they might
have been too late after all if the tricycles
had remained intact. As it was, they rushed
into the moonlight in the widest confusion,
running from side to side like inebriated mon
sters, and when the riders threw themselves
to the ground the next minute, and made for
the strawberries and the meadows, they had
lost too much time to recover it.
There were one or two shots fired, clamor
| of shouts, and some awful language from the
burglars. Nothing that had happened in all
that terrible night was as bad as the ten
minutes or so during which Charley was up
there somewhere, out of sight, amid the strug
gle, and | was left alone in the middle of tho
second bridge, sitting on the saddle ofthe burg
lars tricycle., and pressing my hands over
my ears to shut out the CHASTITY sounds, and
then taking them away lest | should miss
hearing Charley voice in what might be his
last moment. He was dreadfully shocked
when he came running back to find me quite
stiff and cold with terror, and then it was that
my fingers began to tremble beyond all con-
troll of my sternest will, and Charley had TO
hold them tight between his own till they had
grown sensible again.
Well, WE'LL it is all over, the horror of
that twentieth of June. The whole band was
captured Charley overpowered and took the
Captain (whose tricycle. had so coolly bor-
rowed) with his own hand. | don't know
what became of them, but I'm afraid 1t was
hard labor for life, poor things | know
was greatly rejoiced to find the strong room
had resisted all their efforts, and they were
still engaged upon it when the tramp of horses
warned them Of our approach.
/ Aunt and unciecame back to find the manor
house in occupation of a party Of the hussars,
whom Capt. Blount insisted on leaving in
possession to guard the place till their return.
The servants heard from Rowles, were all
| to go at days notice, and though tried to
be forgiving, could not help feeling that they
deserved their doom.
1t was with every expectation of sharing it
that interviewed Aunt Alicia the next morn
ing in company with Charley in order 10 ae-
quaint her with our mutual guilt. If had
been little older, and had learned to be sur
prised at nothing but the expected, should
have been more prepared for what really
TODD place-for Aunt Alicia, pressing me to
her stony bosom, and calling me worthy de-
scendant of the race, and her beloved niece
and benefactor; for her gracious reception of
Charley, and the remark that, though it was
usual to apply TO guardian before venturing
to WOO daughter of the house of Blessington,
still she could not rebuke even impetuosity in
one who had shown himself so noble and so
brave.